The Supreme Court today granted interim bail for 60 days to Mohit Goyal, the founder of Freedom 251, who sprang into the limelight with his scheme promising smartphones for just Rs 251.
The division bench of Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Krishna Murari issued notice to the Uttar Pradesh government and the Commissioner of Police in a petition filed by Goyal, accused of fraud of Rs 200 crore in the dry fruits business. Goyal sought interim bail on the grounds that his three-year-old daughter needs treatment.
He submitted before the Court that his three-year-old daughter has spinal abscess and the surgery is going to be conducted on June 8. He also placed the medical report of his daughter before the Court.
Goyal’s counsel Senior Advocate Shyam Divan submitted that there are 11 FIRs registered in the said fraud, but Mohit has not been named in nine FIRs. The primary allegation against Goyal was by a Dubai-based dry fruits and spices exporter, but he has no connection with them. The FIRs were counter blast against Goyal, Senior Advocate Shyam Divan said and further submitted that he had already spent five months in jail so he should be granted bail.
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Goyal and his associates formed a company that used to buy dry fruits at expensive prices, but after doing business with traders for some time, they stopped placing orders. In many cases, the cheques bounced. In 2017, Mohit Goyal was the darling of the media for his Freedom Phone scheme, where a smartphone was sold for Rs 251, although no one ever got such a phone.
The Court granted interim bail to Mohit Goyal and issued notice to the authorities concerned asking them to file their reply within six weeks.
Source ILNS
Read order below:
Mohit-Goyal